The promotion packet: document your way to the next level
Promotions go to people whose case is easy to make. Build the document that makes your manager's argument for them.
By Daniel Brooks · 2026-07-03
Your manager doesn't decide your promotion alone — they argue it to people who've never seen your work. The promotion packet is you arming them with the evidence.
What goes in it
- Impact with numbers — shipped, saved, grown; before and after.
- Next-level proof — examples of already operating at the target level, mapped to the official criteria.
- Voices — quotes from peers, partners, stakeholders; borrowed credibility counts.
How to run it
Keep it updated quarterly, share it at reviews, and ask directly: "What's missing between this and the next level?" Then close exactly those gaps.
Timing truthPromotions are budgeted before they're announced. Make your case months before cycle time, not during it.